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Binturia
Binturia is a forest at the center of Orelisle. It is called "The Thousand Mile Forest," though few actually know its size, as the forest is said to be magical in nature and shifts itself as it sees fit. The territory now known as Binturia lies in the shadows of the Crinoid Mountains . Named after a legendary creature said to dwell under the roots of an oak tree somewhere on the mountain slopes, it remains more of a collection of informally allied interests rather than a formal kingdom. The main settlements of Binturia lie mostly on the ruins of a citadel of an unknown civilization – now only mentioned in the oral traditions of the Leopard Tribe – a powerful barbarian clan that holds the ruins to be sacred for unknown reasons, and calls home the outlying plains and forests beyond the land itself. Incidentally, the clan suffered a heavy decimation in numbers of unknown cause shortly before Binturia’s rise as a force in the region during the third age. Despite the growing city, Binturian Interests are held by a few specific regions. The denezins of Ciwn Forest guard over the only passable Caravan Route, from which a large part of the trade arises. A series of other merchants have flocked to the caverns underneath the ruins, where a port has been established on an underground river, a sea route into the Eastern Sea. Smaller settlements have also cropped up in other parts of Binturia. Binturia lies on what could potentially be a major trading route and its ruins are believed to watch over one of the few entrances into the Under Earth. Into the mists of time, the region has served as a lure for both the adventurous and the foolhardy, but has never been successfully settled in written history until the Lady of the Scepter in the Third Age. Attempts to establish a unified civilization failed after conflicts between Merchant Interests and the Meztec Empire, during the Fourth Age. Prior, those who survived crossing the traditional hunting grounds of the Leopard Tribe, have had to contend with the tribes of carnivorous lizardmen that inhabit the wetlands and swamps along with other often unseen dangers. The ruins themselves are infested with various still-working defenses and enchantments, and remain largely unexplored. In particular, powerful enchantments bind the dead as guardians, enslaving their victims to swell their ranks. It is accepted that the Crinoids themselves are fairly impassable. To this date, there are no records of successful crossings by large groups, only unverifiable accounts of small parties or single adventurers returning with strange and powerful items and living remains of unknown origin. Traditionally, a good portion of Binturia’s residents consisted of refugees that have braved its dangerous defenses in search of safety. Despite the establishment of trading routes, the casualties of pursuing an outlaw into Binturia are often too high to be feasible – official pursuits are often raided and slaughtered to a man, whether by the inhabitants of the forests, or those who seek to maintain Binturia’s isolation from political forces. Mercenary bands, Pirate crews, and Rogue assassins can still be found establishing their own hideaways or simply laying low in between their exploits. Although residents occasionally break the balance of power, the ultimate authority in the region has not been held since the Third Age. There are an abnormal amount of details associated with Binturia that seem to fit with legends regarding the Great Devastation – a cataclysmic event of which nothing can be found prior. Those who have wandered deep into the depths of the Under Dark speak of powerful wards, horrifying remains, and an unshakable presence of unease. Something may still wait deep below. Category:Places Category:Binturia